Chapter Ten:

The headlines were a nightmare. An absolute nightmare. The press obviously over-exaggerated everything, claiming that Elphaba (or as she was referred to in the magazines as an unidentified female) was Fiyero's new mistress. The even worse headlines were the ones that said that Fiyero killed Glinda so that he could marry her.

Suddenly everywhere she went, whether it was the hotel lobby or down the street, Elphaba was mobbed with paparazzi. The rebound girl they called her. Everyone wanted her picture, wanted to know who she was, what her relations with Fiyero were, they wanted to know everything about her and Elphaba just wanted them to leave her alone.

But even she wanted to know what her status with Fiyero was. Ever since yesterday she had been up all night thinking about that kiss. Had he meant it or had it just been out of hunger and lust?

The two of them had been acting as if they were in a relationship but Elphaba wasn't the type to do flings. She needed to know how he felt about her before they could spend anymore time together. It was just the right thing to do.

When Fiyero came that morning to drop off her car she was more than glad to see his face rather than the lens of a camera.

"Hey," she greeted him softly, her eyes sad about the whole mess. Her heart was fluttering at the upcoming task of asking him how he felt about her.

"Hey," he replied back as he handed her back her keys to the car, "I parked it in the lot for you."

She opened the door more so that he could come in, her hands shaking just slightly.

"Thanks for that. You really didn't have to come all by yourself though. You could have had someone just drop it off." She shut the door behind him. She was glad her speech was eloquent and not nervous. At least she could carry on a conversation with him.

"I know, but I just wanted to see you," he said earnestly.

Elphaba turned around and looked at him. "Even after yesterday?" She herself hadn't been so sure about ever seeing Fiyero again after what had happened yesterday at Glinda's funeral. His statement caused butterflies in her stomach.

"Yesterday was my fault, I get rather impulsive at times," explained Fiyero shyly, "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable and I'm sorry for this whole mess."

"Spoken like a true gentleman," remarked Elphaba as she adjusted her dark blue blouse so that her sleeves weren't falling to one side. She was slightly annoyed that he was brushing off their kiss as an 'impulsive' act.

"I am truly sorry for all this, I told the paparazzi not to print any articles about it or that I would have their job," Fiyero said angrily.

Elphaba then tossed at him today's morning paper, with their kiss as the front story.

She crossed her arms as she watched him read it, seeing his face turn from angry to absolutely livid.

"I told them no photographers," he shouted as he crumpled up the paper and threw it at the wall.

Elphaba remained silent, with pursed lips and her hands tucked into the back pockets of her jeans. She knew that he was angry about more than just the photographers, so she'd let him rant. After all, she hardly thought that Mr. and Mrs. Upland would let him explode like this, having been grieving themselves.

"I don't understand what they think no media means. I mean honestly!" Fiyero was now pacing around the room, the light casting shadows on his grey T shirt and dark jeans.

"Well, what's done is done," said Elphaba simply. He looked at her, eyes pained.

"I didn't want to drag you into all of this, Elphaba," he said with his head low, "I'm so sorry."

Elphaba shrugged, "It's alright. I was Glinda's best friend, I was bound to get involved in this somehow."

"But having me kiss you wasn't the way you expected to get involved?" He hit the nail right on the head.

Elphaba paled and looked away from him, looking down at her shoes which were simple black flats.

"I'm such an idiot," Fiyero scolded himself.

"No, you're not," countered Elphaba as she moved a few steps closer to him, "Please don't beat yourself up over it. I'll be fine, Fiyero." She knew that she had to ask him soon, before he left in a hurry.

"At least let me make it up to you, please," he begged. He grasped her hands in his, "Let me take you out to dinner."

She arched an eyebrow at him, "Wouldn't that just provoke the paparazzi into thinking that their suspicions about us are right?"

His face dropped, "Oh, right."

He let go of her hands. Her heart sank. Maybe he didn't feel about her in that way. Still, it was time she found out for sure how he felt about her.

"There must be something I can for you."

She thought about it for a while, even though she already knew what she was going to say. She didn't need to time to think it over. All she knew was that once she asked this question, her entire relationship with Fiyero was done for.

"You can answer me one question," she said taking a step closer to him.

Their eyes met.

"Just one?" asked Fiyero, a bit baffled by the request. "Alright, if that's what you want."

She took a deep breath, ran a hand through her combed hair and then looked at him.

"Did that kiss really mean nothing to you?"

She felt like cringing after she said those words. She could see his face, he was stunned by the question.

"What?" He pulled his hands away from hers.

"I said did that kiss really mean nothing to you? You're acting like it was all a big mistake but a week ago you were ready to confess your undying love for me! I don't get it Fiyero Tiggular, are you in love with me or not?" she finally shouted at him.

The room was silent. Fiyero and Elphaba stared at each other, waiting for an answer.

"I love Glinda," he said sounding hollow. He stared at her, those blue eyes piercing through her soul.

"No, you loved Glinda. She's dead, Fiyero... she's dead and I'm standing right in front of you but you can't seem to make up your mind about how you feel about me." Elphaba finally let her feelings out. After all, it was now or never. Now was the time to tell him before the situation with the paparazzi went any further.

"Do you- do you love me? Because I thought..." Fiyero couldn't seem to find the words. He was just letting random words fumble out of his mouth.

"Yes, yes I do love you," said Elphaba, "But I know you just buried Glinda so I'm not saying I want to enact upon these feelings just yet. You have so much still to go through, and I know that. I'm just asking if you have feelings for me."

Her words were utterly passionate, and he was quite surprised hearing her talk about himself that way.

"Would it make any difference if I did?" he challenged.

Elphaba didn't know whether to weep with joy or sorrow.

"It would make the worlds difference," she answered him. She stepped closer to him, out of need, out of lust. She could see the words now, it was right on the tip of his tongue.

He paused, ran a hand through his hair. He looked up at her softly, gently.

"Then, yes. I do love you," he said quietly taking one of her hands in his. She glanced up at those eyes and quivered.

So her suspicions were true. He did love her.

This changed everything.

This is so bad, I'm so sorry. I felt guilty for not uploading in a while so I threw this together. I hope it came out alright. Sorry for the long wait, the months just flew by! Hopefully I will be back on a better updating schedule.

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